White Sox GM Williams has trio of options

With little payroll flexibility, he'll have to choose his path carefully for 2012

November 12, 2011|By Mark Gonzales, Chicago Tribune reporter

The math doesn't add up, so general manager Ken Williams eventually will have to subtract from his White Sox roster.

With nearly $92 million earmarked to 13 players, slugger Carlos Quentin and left-hander John Danks arbitration-eligible and ace Mark Buehrle a free agent, it's virtually impossible for the Sox to retain those players to fill out a roster that will be paid less than last year's club record $127 million payroll.

Here are the options facing Williams:

Clean house

"Kenny needs to measure the market," said one longtime scout familiar with Sox personnel. Despite a tough start in 2011, Danks, 26, is left-handed and entering the prime of his career.

"I like Danks better than C.J. Wilson," said another scout, referring to the Rangers' 32-year-old free agent left-hander. "Danks has the stuff, a great changeup and he's going to get better."

Several teams are looking for a right-handed power-hitting outfielder of Quentin's caliber, and the Sox seem to have a capable replacement in Dayan Viciedo.

For more frugal teams, Gavin Floyd will earn $7 million in 2012 and has a team option for $9.5 million for 2013. Matt Thornton will earn $12 million over the next two years, and the Rangers and Yankees could be in the market for a late-inning, left-handed power reliever.

The biggest issue would be getting enough major league-ready talent in return, primarily pitchers who can make up for the loss of innings Buehrle and Danks amass. The Rangers, Braves and Reds have deep farm systems with various levels of young starting pitching that could satisfy the Sox.

A bona fide leadoff man also would sooth the angst of long-suffering Sox fans.

Wait till June

If Buehrle departs — which appears likely with the high level of interest and the Sox's financial issues — Danks could take over as the staff ace with the hope he would agree to a multi-year extension. Danks and Quentin could earn a combined $15 million next season.

Assuming Jake Peavy won't have his $22 million option for 2013 picked up, the Sox's obligations for 2013 drop to $50.75 million for seven players if Floyd is traded or his $9.5 million option is declined. That could give them enough room to give Danks an extension.

It seemed very surprising when the Sox picked up the $3.75 million option on reliever Jason Frasor last month, but this gives the Sox more trade flexibility.

Two scouts who have seen the Sox's farm system say they could use starting pitching and outfield depth at the upper levels.

The danger in waiting until after the first two months next season to do something is if the Sox struggle and Williams is forced to trade Danks and or Quentin, he could face a market limited to contenders as well as encounter compensation issues because both players are eligible for free agency after 2012.

Stand pat

This is possible, other than allowing Buehrle to leave.

"They're cheap at third (Brent Morel), inexpensive at second (Gordon Beckham) and at backup catcher (Tyler Flowers)," one scout said. "They have Brent Lillibridge, who is cheap and can play everywhere. They have some wiggle room."

The biggest gamble is banking on bounce-back years from Dunn, Rios and Beckham. Dunn and Rios have obese contracts through 2014, but time could be running out on Beckham.

Their unpredictability has left Williams baffled.

"I had to ask some very hard questions, and if we are to reasonably project where we are going to be next year, a lot of it, honestly, would be guessing," Williams said. "We didn't anticipate some of the years we got from people.

"So I'm not going to stand here, or you're not going to hear me anywhere else present any other case than we just don't know exactly what we're going to get. So we have to factor that into the equation into terms of our 2012 planning and beyond."